We here at SwimSwam rarely get the opportunity to congratulate one of our own, as most of us are well past the primes of our swimming careers.
Tonight, however, we are thrilled to announce the commitment of our colleague and friend Collin Baldacci to the UNLV Rebels.
Bladacci is by far the top recruit out of the state of Wyoming, and in three years of high school swimming already has earned 7 State Championships for Campbell County High School. He trains year-round with the Gillette Swim Team: the state's best that also produced current Cal freshman Nick Dillinger, among others. Gillette won their 21st-straight USA Swimming State Championship in July.
He has bests of 50.57/1:51.43 in the 100 and 200 backstrokes, plus a 1:50.71 in the 200 IM. He should immediately step in as the program's number-two IM'er, but is an especially huge get for the Rebels' medley relays, which for the past few years have been the best mid-major medleys in the country. After Coleman Allen left the program to return to train in his native Canada, this squad was left extremely thin in the backstrokes. If he can crack the 50-second barrier as a senior, Baldacci will more-than-likely step in as the team's primary sprint backstroker.
Baldacci has phenomenal underwaters, and though he's only hit a 52.75 in the 100 fly, he could ultimately contribute there as well.
Baldacci did his research on the program (we wouldn't expect any less), and liked what he saw in their times. “They have had a great history of improvement in their swimmers,” he said of past results, “and I feel like that's the team that I will fit in best with.”
The 13-event Wyoming LSC Record holder is also the USA Swimming athlete representative for his state.